Sustainable Packaging for Totum Women's Support Cookies

“Totum helps modern moms feel whole.  I started Totum because after I gave birth to our first child, I was shocked at the lack of resources, conversation and attention on a woman who’s just had a baby. Thankfully, there is a support structure for pregnant women and infants, but the postpartum woman is largely ignored.  As a result, many women struggle physically, mentally, and in their relationships and careers because they’re not sure how to assimilate.  That’s an injustice I can’t abide. I had to do something.”

“So I started our business by sharing the first thing I made for myself that helped.  Totum’s first product is Totum Treats – our mother’s support cookie.  I came up with this recipe when returning to work after our first baby and finding it nearly impossible to keep up my breast milk supply, let alone maintaining the energy and brain function I needed to succeed at work and home. The cookies get rave performance reviews from breastfeeding moms, but moms of all ages (and even dads and kids) love the cookies because of their nutrient-dense ingredients and satisfying taste. They’re as delicious as an old-fashioned chocolate chip cookie, upgraded with healthy fats, antioxidants, proteins, and superfoods.”

“We also offer a cause-supporting nursing tee that’s a favorite of women like Kate Hudson, Minka Kelly and Sarah Michelle Gellar, and provide resources, community and expertise through events and at @totumwomenon Instagram and on our website.  Totum has partnered with brands like Happiest Baby, Lunya, ThirdLove and Hatch to reach mothers across the country with the message of truth and support in motherhood.”

“We’re working on expanding our resources, events and relationships to deliver boldly on our mission to help moms feel whole in 2020 and beyond.”

“I’m mostly a one-woman show, with help from two other women on an as-needed basis, and I have three little kids.  The intensity of growing and scaling while bootstrapping is overwhelming at times and requires a lot of discipline, boundaries and thoughtful delegation.  And I’m selective when deciding with whom to grow this business, as I learned the hard way last year that not everyone can be trusted to grow a mission-centered business. Running a small operation like this, I’ve had to troubleshoot everything from a wireless pump control setup in our facility to figuring out how to fix 110V wiring error on 240V pump systems when our equipment acted up—it’s all part of the hands-on hustle.”

“Sustainability is vital.  Each of our ingredients is sourced and chosen with sustainability and ethics in mind, with help from our co-manufacturer New Hope Mills.  New Hope is a family business who packages their goods in recycled kraft paper and twine.  We promote our product bundles as an affordable way to eliminate wasted materials and unnecessary fuel emissions required with multiple trips. We are pushing Amazon to allow bundle bags that aren’t clear so that we never have to use poly bags and can rely on tendlyn’s compostable bags for all shipments.  Apparently, Amazon plans to be carbon neutral by 2030, so this is a small shift they could make with a big positive impact!”

“I’ve done research into the environmental impact of online shopping, and as the owner of a direct-to-consumer brand, I want to keep my burden on the environment as light as possible.”

“I was looking for a substitute to the “poly bags” that Amazon suggests for bundles and asked the Hey Mama forum (a support and trade group for mothers who are founders and executives) about suggestions for Earth-friendly packaging.  So many women jumped in and suggested tendlyn right away.  I’m so excited to not only have found a substitute for those bags but also to have found a way to mail our product in a compostable pouch when we sell directly from our site. It reminds me of how we’ve automated other parts of our operations—like using a Solar Borehole Pump Inverter to manage water flow on our property or installing a wireless wall switch to control lighting without rewiring—small changes that add up to big efficiency gains.”

“As we grow and scale and can afford the custom tissue and mailing boxes, I’ll definitely turn to tendlyn to help us scale responsibly. I’ve also been looking into other smart solutions like an rv automation controller for our mobile pop-ups, an rf transmitter module for remote monitoring, and even a remote control relay module to manage equipment from afar. For our warehouse, a garage door relay controller and a wireless automation switch have simplified daily tasks, while a relay dc motor controller and a v relay controller keep our conveyors running smoothly. We’ve even figured out how to relocate light switch without cutting drywall in our office, and we use a mhz wireless remote module for our outdoor gear. A greenhouse wireless switch helps regulate our small herb garden, and we’ve studied Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) Pump systems for future industrial partnerships. A wireless power relay and a wireless remote relay are on our wishlist for the next phase, along with a farm smart electrical controller for our community garden. And for our retail space, a zigbee scene switch and a high voltage relay have made energy management a breeze.”